Vivid northern lights like those seen in this image are caused by charged particles from the sun (the solar wind) that interact with the Earth's upper atmosphere. The Earth's magnetic field draws these charged particles to either the north or south pole, resulting in the aurora borealis (northern lights) and aurora australis (southern lights). [Infographic: How the Northern Lights Work]

During a solar storm, or a space weather event, an increase in charged particles flowing from the sun can cause brighter and more active auroras that are visible over regions farther away from Earth's poles than usual. These events are known as "geomagnetic storms" and can have damaging effects on Earth's electrical systems, GPS and communication satellites and more.

Astrophotographer Ruslan Merzlyakov took this image over Feggesund, Mors island, Denmark on April 22.

On the day of Merzlyakov's photo shoot, the Space Weather Prediction Center had issued a warning about a moderate geomagnetic storm. It was likely the result of a coronal mass ejection NASA discovered just a few days sooner. This caused the northern lights to appear even more vibrant than usual — an astrophotographer's dream!

Merzlyakov captured these views with a Canon EOS 6D camera and a Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens, using 30-second exposures.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share with us and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.